Elementary Activity

Priorities for Protection Activity

Elementary Age Group (not necessarily in an area affected by an oil spill)

Program Description: 30 minutes

Materials: drawings created by kids affected by an oil spill (available through http://childrenofthespills.org), drawing paper, colored pencils, markers, crayons

Briefly talk about facts of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spills.

Share elementary school drawings and writing from after oil spills.

Ask students, “Could it happen here?”

Brainstorm things that they would want to protect if a spill happened near their home.

Each student draws what they would want to protect in their community and area.

If time, encourage students to share their drawings with the group.

Brainstorm ways students could protect the things/places they identified as important right now (things like picking up trash, etc. are a good entry point).